The Pact
Ronen Landa
" Get ready for more Insidious horror maneuvers "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the limited release
Horror movies are a dime a dozen, it's easy to forget one if you don't pay attention. And even though I'm a horror fan who loves ghost stories, I never would have found The Pact without the help of Screamworks Records. Now thanks to their aid, I came in contact with a fairly entertaining thrill ride that kept itself above par, because ... it never turned stupid. Too many horror movies begin good until you see where it's leading you. The Pact actually surprises you because of the way it transforms from horror to thriller. And of course there are plenty of scares, highlighted by an extremely scary score of composer Ronen Landa.
Landa, a newcomer in the movie business has scored several short movies prior to this one, including the short movie The Pact of director Nicholas McCarthy which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Now as said, horror movies are a dime a dozen. And the same can be said about the scores. Because what makes a horror score fresh, exciting, thrilling, interesting, effective and above all memorable? Well melody surely helps, so do innovating fresh avant garde techniques and a bone chilling nature. Enter The Pact to bring all that. No, enter "Apparitions" to bring most of that in one single cue.
This 9 minute festivity surely sets it apart from the rest, building entirely on mood (you'll spot several inventive and less inventive techniques to make that happen) and enough screeching violins to keep you on the edge of your seat. And even though it sounds deliciously scary, many people will hear similarities between this and the unbelievable frightening music of Insidious. So if you heard that one, expect The Pact to tackle it the same way (violin wise). The cold piano and rhythmic percussion is all Landa's doing. And interestingly enough, they both get the job done. This technique to scare you to the very bone is repeated in "Shadows", the end of "Head Games" and most notably during the FRIGHTENING "Bloodshots", surely the scariest cue on the disc.
Luckily Landa tries to create a balance between the horror and the emotion. And for the family he has cold piano and lonely violin standing by, perfectly suitable to underscore the situation Annie finds herself in. "Her Little Dreams (Theme from The Pact)", "Shattered Glass", the lovely violin in "Pendants", "Letting Go" and "Her Little Dreams (Theme from The Pact) (Reprise)" are lovely from a solitary point of view.
Making The Pact effective and interesting enough for its 35 minute duration. The mood is overtly present on disc, but sparsely used in the film, making its effect even better. And the scary violins here might not frighten you if you still have nightmares about Insidious of Joseph Bishara, they are chilling nonetheless. Considering you can spell out horror through every single instrument and note, The Pact is different from scores like The Awakening and The Innkeepers, but it is definitely effective. A score for a different audience, but for an audience nonetheless.
Track Listing
1. Iris (0.58)
2. Annie Barlow (1.55)
3. Her Little Dreams (Theme from The Pact) (2.01)
4. Shadows (2.59)
5. Head Games (1.44)
6. Shattered Glass (1.33)
7. Apparitions (9.20)
8. Pendants (1.39)
9. Through the Lens (1.44)
10. A Third Room (3.08)
11. Bloodshots (4.30) Excellent track
12. Letting Go (1.20)
13. Her Little Dreams (Theme from The Pact) (Reprise) (2.07)
14. The Judas Song (Bonus Track) (1.00)
Total Length: 35.58
Landa, a newcomer in the movie business has scored several short movies prior to this one, including the short movie The Pact of director Nicholas McCarthy which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Now as said, horror movies are a dime a dozen. And the same can be said about the scores. Because what makes a horror score fresh, exciting, thrilling, interesting, effective and above all memorable? Well melody surely helps, so do innovating fresh avant garde techniques and a bone chilling nature. Enter The Pact to bring all that. No, enter "Apparitions" to bring most of that in one single cue.
This 9 minute festivity surely sets it apart from the rest, building entirely on mood (you'll spot several inventive and less inventive techniques to make that happen) and enough screeching violins to keep you on the edge of your seat. And even though it sounds deliciously scary, many people will hear similarities between this and the unbelievable frightening music of Insidious. So if you heard that one, expect The Pact to tackle it the same way (violin wise). The cold piano and rhythmic percussion is all Landa's doing. And interestingly enough, they both get the job done. This technique to scare you to the very bone is repeated in "Shadows", the end of "Head Games" and most notably during the FRIGHTENING "Bloodshots", surely the scariest cue on the disc.
Luckily Landa tries to create a balance between the horror and the emotion. And for the family he has cold piano and lonely violin standing by, perfectly suitable to underscore the situation Annie finds herself in. "Her Little Dreams (Theme from The Pact)", "Shattered Glass", the lovely violin in "Pendants", "Letting Go" and "Her Little Dreams (Theme from The Pact) (Reprise)" are lovely from a solitary point of view.
Making The Pact effective and interesting enough for its 35 minute duration. The mood is overtly present on disc, but sparsely used in the film, making its effect even better. And the scary violins here might not frighten you if you still have nightmares about Insidious of Joseph Bishara, they are chilling nonetheless. Considering you can spell out horror through every single instrument and note, The Pact is different from scores like The Awakening and The Innkeepers, but it is definitely effective. A score for a different audience, but for an audience nonetheless.
Track Listing
1. Iris (0.58)
2. Annie Barlow (1.55)
3. Her Little Dreams (Theme from The Pact) (2.01)
4. Shadows (2.59)
5. Head Games (1.44)
6. Shattered Glass (1.33)
7. Apparitions (9.20)
8. Pendants (1.39)
9. Through the Lens (1.44)
10. A Third Room (3.08)
11. Bloodshots (4.30) Excellent track
12. Letting Go (1.20)
13. Her Little Dreams (Theme from The Pact) (Reprise) (2.07)
14. The Judas Song (Bonus Track) (1.00)
Total Length: 35.58